THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT – PART 2
The Gifts / Manifestations of the Holy Spirit
Clarifying the basic doctrine of baptisms mentioned in Hebrews chapter 6 – Let’s look at the purpose and meaning of each ‘baptism’ for sake of understanding of operating in the gifts of the Spirit.
- Salvation – New Birth
John 20:21-22 The receiving of the Holy Spirit, God’s Spirit in us, making our spirit man righteous again. Receiving His nature and to mature and grow as a new man or woman in Christ. These attributes are listed in Galatians 5:22-23. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentlenesss and self-control. Against such there is no law.
These are what set believers apart from non-believers. Growing in our character with these attributes command a response, to this world’s nature and demands, that reflect Jesus opposed to how our natural flesh would like to respond.
The Believer is as righteous as Adam and Eve were before sin. We just live in a hostile environment. Being a Christ follower takes discipline & commitment. Faith is the vehicle in which we arrive daily to a life of discipline and commitment to Christ. It is in a continually living state in which others can then see and hear the gospel as they now see and hear Jesus through the Believer. This is how Believers are able to gain an audience for the Lord to reap a harvest of souls. It’s Christ in us, the hope of Glory that the lost must see.
- Water Baptism – A public declaration of the New Birth.
This is a very symbolic & ceremonial act.
Symbolic – That you have died and become new. The old man goes down into the water (the grave), the new man comes up raised to new life (born again). *This is not being born again, it is symbolic of being raised to life in Christ Jesus. Believing in one’s heart and confessing with one’s mouth is how we are born again.
Ceremonial – with a witness or witnesses it displays that this believer is now publicly married, if you will, to Christ Jesus. Dedicated as His bride to be faithful to Him.
- The Baptism of the Holy Spirit – A two-fold gift of receiving Ability & Power from the Father.
- The ability to pray in tongues. Not praying to men, but unto God himself and strengthening of one’s faith. (1 Cor. 14; Jude 20).
- The ability to witness and operate in the power of God’s anointing as Jesus did, with the Holy Spirit coming upon as He wills to accomplish Kingdom Business. (1 Cor. 12:1-11).
*We can conclude then there is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, meaning the Holy Spirit lives within a Believer and the Holy Spirit comes upon the Believer. For two separate purposes.
THE SPIRIT WITHIN US IS FOR OUR WITNESS – our character (Galatians 5:22-23).
THE SPIRIT UPON US IS FOR SERVICE – gifts to enhance the Body of Christ (the Church), and to destroy the work of Satan. (1 Corinthians 12:1-11).
Jesus said, after the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will have power to be my witnesses.
This introduces us to the fact, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, that Jesus was talking about in the 1st chapter of Acts and that they received on the day of Pentecost, is the one and the only way in which we are given the complete 9 full, manifestations of the Spirit.
The 9 Gifts / Manifestations of the Spirit:
1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (NKJV) 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by [f]the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
1. the word of wisdom
2. the word of knowledge
3. faith or special faith
4. gifts of healings
5. the working of miracles
6. prophecy
7. discerning of spirits
8. divers kinds of tongues
9. the interpretation of tongues
We can group these into 3 groups of 3 based on what they do.
The word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, and discerning of spirits all reveal something or can be called the revelation gifts.
The gift of faith, gifts of healings, and the working of miracles all do something, often referred to as the power gifts. Prophesy, divers kinds of tongues, and the interpretation of tongues all say something or can be referred to as the inspiration or speaking gifts.